NBA's Northwest divisional rivals Thunder and Jazz will cross paths tonight, February 6th, at the Delta Center. Oklahoma City is a Western Conference leader with a 35-15 record, while the Jazz are occupying the 10th standing in the conference with a losing 25-26 record. Sportsbooks with free bets for new customers see the Thunder as a 3-point favorite, a team that overcame a 23-point deficit and defeated the Raptors 135-127 in double-overtime on Sunday.
The question is whether that marathon game will influence today's matchup, which is eligible for a bet with a DraftKings sports promo code. Let's preview the odds and team performance for one of the closing games on Tuesday's schedule.
The Thunder Is Getting Loud
Oklahoma City arrives in Utah with a three-game winning streak and as a top team in the Western Conference. The Thunder are efficient on the hardwood floor, shooting 50.1% for 2-points and 38.9% for 3-points, which result in an average of 120.8 points per game, sufficient to rank 4th in the NBA. OKC ranks 5th in the NBA in pace of play, and it's a team that can force turnovers with 15.6 per game.
The offensive performance is paired with a solid defense. Oklahoma City allows 112.8 points per game, ranking 4th in the NBA for overall defensive ranking. Rebounding on the defensive side of the court is the one stat category where the Thunder are not among the top 10 teams, ranking 29th.
Team leaders are Gilgeous-Alexander, with 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game, and rookie Chet Holmgren, who scores 16.8 points per night and snags 7.5 rebounds per game. One big issue for tonight's game is the long list of questionable players on the rosters. OKC might play without
Davis Bertans, Cason Wallace, Jaylin Williams, Vasilije Micic, Jalen Williams, Lindy Waters III, and Ousmane Dieng.
The Jazz Are Improving
The Jazz surprised the Bucks 123-108 at Delta Center on Sunday, and tonight's game will show if that was coincidental or if Utah is on the rise and in a good position to compete for a Western Conference playoff spot. It's worth mentioning that Utah has a 16-7 home record. Despite their up-and-down season, they have won six out of their last nine games.
Stats reveal a 47.1% shooting percentage from the floor and 35.7% from beyond the arc. The team's shooting ability generates 117.7 points per game. Defensively, the Jazz concedes 119.7 points a night and ranks 24th in defensive rating. However, the team has a chronic turnover problem, with 15.8 per game. One strength is offensive rebounding, with 12.6 per game, ranking third in the league.
Unlike the Thunder, Utah has an empty injury report. And the biggest threat to OKC's rim will be Lauri Markkanen, who averages 23.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per night.
Betting Prediction and Odds
Picking a team to bet on should not be difficult, considering Utah already lost two games to OKC, including an encounter in Delta Center. However, that was early in the season, and injuries have taken their toll on the Thunder roster. Although the star players are still a serious threat, the exhausting game from Sunday night might make the Thunder vulnerable tonight.
Betting apps offer -112 odds on OKC to cover their 3-point spread as the favorite and -108 odds on Jazz to cover. A moneyline bet on the home team provides a +130 betting line, and the visiting team receives -155 odds. The total is 241.5 points with -115 odds for the Over and -105 for the Under bet. Utah has been able to cover the spread this season, and their rebounding edge will slow down OKC.
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